Wonderful Scenery on Ly Son Island - Quang Ngai

Only a few people know that Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai
Province in Central Vietnam was d from five extinct volcanoes during the
prehistoric age. With wonderful scenery left by these volcanoes, the
island has now become an alluring destination, attracting a large number
of tourists.

Seen
from the shore on a fine day, Ly Son Island looks like a pyramid on the
sea with its top being the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Among five
mountains founding on the island, Thoi Loi is a rocky one. After a long
time climbing the tortuous path on the mountain, tourists reach the peak
of Thoi Loi where they have a panoramic view of the garlic field that
looks like a chess-board and an immense blue sea dotted with fishing
boats in the distance.

A panoramic view of Gieng Tien Mountain from the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Viet CuongThe road to the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Thong ThienAt the foot of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Viet Cuong.Duc Pagoda is located halfway up Gieng Tien Mountain. Photo: Thong ThienThe cold lava from the exinct volcanoes millions of years ago forms a beautiful scenery. Photo: Viet CuongA garlic field at the foot of the mountain.

The rain-water reservoir built on an area which was formerly a primitive forest. Photo: Viet Cuong

"The Heaven Gate" was formed by the cold lava from the exinct volcanoes millions of years ago. Photo: Viet CuongBeautiful cliffs near Hang Pagoda on Ly Son Island. Photo: Thong Thien

According
to the old people in Ly Son, the hollow of the extinct Thoi Son Volcano
was formerly a primitive forest of different valuable trees and had
abundant fresh water resources which ran at the foot of the mountain to
form Chinh Stream. Then, the forest was totally destroyed and the stream
no longer exists. So far, there is only a relic left – Hang (Cave)
Pagoda. Due to the sea’s impact on geology for hundreds of years, the
layers of rock have been eroded and have formed a cave in the shape of a
pagoda.

Unlike Thoi Loi Mountain that has only rocks, Gieng Tien Mountain has a special fertile soil, similar to the Bazan soil in Tay
Nguyen (the Central Highlands). The locals often use this soil and sand
to fertilize the garlic fields. Thanks to these fertilizers, the variety
of garlic grown in Ly Son has a special flavour that is hardly known in
other places. Around the crater of Gieng Tien Mountain that is smaller
than that of Thoi Loi Mountain is a piece of land where no plants can
grow. According to the beliefs of the locals, it is the sacred oil that
was used as ash on the graves of soldiers of Kiem Quan Bac Hai Squad who
laid down their lives when protecting the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands
during the reign of King Minh Mang (1791-1841)

To the east of
Gieng Tien Mountain is a strange pagoda, called Duc by locals. Visiting
the pagoda, tourists learn a story about the Goddess of Mercy who
traveled on Bac Hai Sea to save fishermen in distress. Seeing fishing
boats being sunk by storms, she tore her robe into thousands of pieces
and threw them into the sea. These pieces of cloth turned into dolphins
which saved fishermen on the sea. Due to their belief, the locals made a
statue of the Goddess of Mercy, 27m high, facing the sea and placed it
at the pagoda with the hope that the Goddess of Mercy will protect
fishermen when they go to the sea.

Although the relic of three
extinct volcanoes is only small mounds, the presence of cold lava is
seen in many places on Ly Son Island, forming a wonderful landscape.
They are rocks in different shapes that leave a long-lasting impression
on tourists to the island.